Open Mic Night

Saturday night my community did an Open Mic Night to raise awareness about the Aids Crisis in Africa. We are partnering with the Africa Hope Center.

It was a really fun night and there was a lot of talent presented. Here is a sample of some of the pictures I took. Check out our flickr site for more photos.

Great job everyone who helped with this event. You all did an amazing job and it was a wonderful night!

Jeramie was the MC

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They did a great job and it was awesome to finally hear some of their music! You can find them on itunes and myspace!

The band (Pat, John, Jon, and Zack) took requests from the audience and had to try and play the songs requested! It was real funny and they did a great job!





Many others showed their talents as well.







Meatloaf even made an appearance at the end of the night






(Sorry for the crazy pictures everywhere. I can't figure out how to make them organized and neat on this blog and I give up trying on this post)

Brayden's 1st Birthday

So Brayden had his first birthday last Friday October 10th! It was so fun just to celebrate him all day long. Not to worry about what I need to be doing or getting done but just to take him some fun places and watch him laugh, smile, try new things, and even be a little timid about them.

We hung around the house in the morning so he could get his nap in. Shelley came over around lunch time and we left to go to the Farmer's Market. My mom was in town and so it was Nana, Grandam, Brayden, and I! We ate lunch there and they sang to him. He had a look like "what are all these folks standing around me singing for?". Then we went over to look at and touch the pumpkins. We went there last year with Kim and Palmer but we went on Halloween and most of the pumpkins were already gone. There were LOTS of pumpkins and gourds of all sizes. We enjoyed touching and looking at them.

He even climbed on the hay. It was a bit prickly so it took him a few minutes to like it.
It is just like how he acts on the grass!

After we bought some gourds and 2 pumpkins we headed over to Pullen Park.


We rode the train for the first time. It was kind of loud at first so he was a little apprehensive. Then we played on the swings and rode the carousal. It was fun watching him try some new things.

That night we went to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate with us, grandma,
grandpa, and Nana.

There they also sang Happy Birthday to him and gave him a little sundae with 1 candle!
He enjoyed eating his ice cream alot. Just like his mommy! :)

Happy Birthday Brayden!

We went home and he got to open his presents from Uncle Jonathan and Ms. Kim and Keeton. Two presents sent all the way from Colorado.
On Saturday we had a birthday party at our house.
You can check out flickr for more pictures being updated very soon!

Fall is here!

So I have been trying to really enjoy Fall. I feel like usually the changing of the seasons passes me by and I don't really stop to enjoy them. So I have been trying to do a few things that help me enjoy the new season upon us.

So far I have

* planted mums
* made caramel apples for our Homegroup
* enjoyed a few Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks
* attended a bonfire
* attended a Fall Potluck

Today or tomorrow I plan to try and go take some pictures of the leaves changing. Later this week my son turns ONE and I think we are going to head to the Pumpkin Farm to take a hayride, play, and pick out Pumpkins. I can't wait. If you would like to join us let me know!

Tracked Out

Daniel doesn't like it but I am tracked out. Well and when I am tracked out and I want to get some projects done. I am the one in our household with a list of things that I always want to do or get done. Daniel is not lazy but is much better at just sitting around the house and relaxing than I am. Sometimes I wish I could be that way more often.

Last Sunday it started by digging up my flowers that I had planted in May because I wanted to plan some mums. So he helped me dig them up and found 1,000's of pill bugs.


Then last week I asked him to take a vacation day on Friday so that we could do some things.
He agreed and so we got started.

He power washed the deck and porch while I went to the DMV to renew my license, get the jeep's oil change and I mowed the lawn. We borrowed the power washer from Scott.
Thanks Scott!

Then we ran a few errands together. We came home and started sanding and getting our tables ready to prime. These tables have been sitting in our garage 1/2 done since a few months after moving into our house. We have a little sanding and priming left to do. Then we are ready to paint. I am going to try and work on painting some of them later today. We are also still trying to decide on what sealer to put on our deck.. do we want a clear sealer? Do we want a toner with a little bit of color? Here are our choices at Lowes!

Sanding was a lot of fun and it is not hard.
It gives me more confidence to redo our kitchen table now.

As you can see Brayden was trying to help!

On Sunday we did some more sanding and Daniel powerwashed our driveway, sidewalk and railings. As you can see by power washing them we discovered some of our wood was rotten. I guess it would have showed up at some point but now we have another project to complete sooner than later.

So if anyone wants to come over and help take apart the railings let us know.

1 year

My son is turning One in just a couple of weeks. I just can't believe it. This year has gone by so fast and he has learned and grown so much! I really do just adore him!

Ellen Degeneres and Gladys Hardy

Labor Day

"Derek and Christy are out playing ladder golf in their yard," said Daniel.

"Oh really, well at least they are enjoying the holiday. I feel like we should do something." said Mandy.

"What do you mean, I am drinking BEER!" exclaimed Daniel as he cracked open another beer.


This conversation was really funny to me this evening. Our Labor Day was pretty uneventful. Daniel mowed the lawn, worked on the Visio website, and folded clothes. I have been challenged to clean things out in my house lately by the study I am doing with my journey group girls. So I cleaned out my clothes and made a pile for Goodwill or a garage sale, did laundry, school work, and ran to the grocery store - TWICE. And we both spent some quality time with Brayden today.

So I was feeling like we needed to do something outside or "Labor Dayish". So this evening we grilled kabobs, ate dinner on the deck, and Daniel drank 3 different kinds of BEER. So my Labor Day ended really well. Tonight we plan to watch a movie as well :)

What did you do to celebrate Labor Day?

Under My Wife's Control

Quick back story.  Shannon and I commute to work.  Today he had a doctor's appointment so based on info from Mandy I assumed he'd just stay at home in the morning.  Thus, I headed into work earlier without informing him.  Come to find out, he planned on coming to work before the appointment.  I think he ended up waiting outside my house, to which he would've had to walk there since his car is still at Hope.

Nonetheless I had an IM conversation with my wife about it.  I think it hits on an issue that Jeramie raised recently about the sneaky things wives do.  Here is that conversation.  (For the lazy, I've highlighted the main parts).


Mandy: did you call shannon before you left?

Daniel: no

Mandy: he was planning to go into the office?

Daniel: yes
your thought got me in trouble
i'm never listening to you again ;)

Mandy: was he upset?

Daniel: i'd say disappointed

Mandy: really?
well I told you it was a "thought" not "for sure"

Daniel: well i sure he wasn't happy about it
you tell me your thoughts alot
actually, you force your thoughts on me alot :)

Mandy: no I don't
I will apologize to him

Daniel: see, there you go again, you don't think you do, so you are telling me you don't
BUSTED
:)

Papaya

Has anyone ever seen the inside of a papaya? I hadn't until now. It is real interesting and very tasty!